Bitter Fruit
by Lady of Lostshadows
Summary: Was the ballroom dream the only effect the peach had on Sarah?


Title: Bitter Fruit

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: I'm not sure where this came from. Hopefully, I'm not underrating this.

Warning: Evil Jareth and Character death lie within.

* * *

The next morning after her adventure in the Labyrinth, Sarah found herself picking at her breakfast with no real interest, despite her grumbling stomach. She eventually chalked it up to a delayed nervous reaction and went about her day.

Lunch and dinner passed with no improvement and she decided she'd feel better after a good night's sleep.

The next evening she was lying on her bed trying to ignore the pain from her stomach, when Hoggle came to visit. He looked at her with great concern.

"Are you alright?" He asked sitting on the bed next to her.

"I'm just hungry." She brushed off his concern.

"When's the last time you ate?"

"You're as bad as Karen. I just don't really seem to feel like eating." She turned her head to look up at him reassuringly. "It's nothing. Probably just a delayed reaction to everything. I'll be fine."

The dwarf stared down at the floor for a while, looking thoughtful. "I'll be right back." He hopped off the bed and disappeared before she could say anything.

Sarah was just starting to drift off when the most heavenly aroma reached her nostrils. She opened her eyes and found Hoggle standing in front of her with what looked to be a chicken pot pie.

"Try this." His demeanor so reminded her of when he'd offered her the peach, that she found herself hesitating. Then her growling stomach took over again.

"Thank you. It smells wonderful." She sat up and took the pie and fork that he offered her. Hungrily she dug in.

After practically inhaling her dinner, she looked up to thank Hoggle and found him unable to meet her gaze. He quickly took the dishes from her.

"I've gotta go." He told her hastily, and disappeared.

x--x

As the weeks passed, Sarah found the same routine happening everyday. She'd go to bed hungry, having not been able to eat anything, and Hoggle would appear with some mouthwatering dish for her to eat. His attitude was always sympathetic, but he refused to answer her questions, or all to often even look her in the eye.

She found herself spending more of her lunch hours in the library poking through as many obscure texts as she could find on goblins. Something must have happened to her in the Labyrinth, but she couldn't figure out what. Nothing she read seemed to fit.

One night, months later, she lay in bed staring at the ceiling once again trying to recall everything she went through in the Labyrinth, looking for the one elusive clue as to what had happened to her. She closed her eyes and saw the Goblin King's arrogant smile looking down on her.

Suddenly, she jerked up and climbed out of bed, cursing herself. How could she have been so stupid. Walking over to the mirror, glared into it firmly.

"Hoggle, I need you."

"You needed something?" He stared down at her carpet.

"What is Jareth?" He looked up at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"He may be their king, but he's clearly not a goblin. So, what is he?"

"Fey." Hoggle shifted uncomfortably, under her gaze.

"Did he do this to me?"

Hoggle dropped his gaze and nodded. "We both did."

"What!" Sarah sat heavily on the edge of the bed. "How...why?"

"It was the peach. I should've never given it to you. I should've remember this could happen."

"What?" She asked him softly, desperation coloring her voice.

"If you eat their food, you can't eat mortal food again. Even if you could make yourself choke it down, it wouldn't keep you alive." He looked up at her, tears coursing down his face. "But don't you worry, I'll bring you food every day. Then maybe one day you'll forgive me."

"Oh Hoggle," She came off the bed and wrapped her arms around the little man, "Of course I forgive you. This wasn't your fault."

"Every day. I promise."

x--x

It was two months later, and Hoggle hadn't come for several days now. Sarah was past the point where her stomach actually hurt. She'd calling for him, then for her other friends, but no responded. No one came.

She'd heard her father and stepmother arguing about taking her to a doctor in hushed voices. Karen thought she should have gone months ago. Her father kept pointing out that they hadn't seen eating for a long time, but she seemed fine.

The next day, she wasn't surprised when Karen came home from work early and dragged her to an appointment. The doctor poked and prodded her. Sarah did what she could to answer his questions, but she couldn't bring herself to try to explain what had actually happened.

She ended up being sent to a psychiatrist anyway. The doctor spent a lot of time talking to Sarah about her body image, and how starving herself wasn't the answer.

And still no sign of Hoggle.

She spent a lot of time with Karen or her father hovering over her as she forced food she didn't want to eat into her empty stomach.

Still no Hoggle.

Slowly, she grew weaker and weaker. Flesh dissolving from her bones as her body desperately cannibalized itself in a vain attempt to stay alive.

After she was checked into the hospital for tests, the doctors having finally ruled out an eating disorder, she stopped calling for Hoggle.

x--x

Sarah lay in the hospital bed staring dreamily at the IV feeding into her arm. The doctors and nurses tried to stay positive around her, but she could tell they were completely perplexed by the fact that even feeding tubes didn't seem to have any effect.

She was dying.

"I wish the goblins would bring me a sandwich right now." Nothing happened, and she managed a weak laugh. "Why should the goblins help me when my friends have abandoned me?"

"They didn't." A gloved hand appeared from the shadows near her bed and caressed the IV line. "They suddenly found themselves rather preoccupied."

She could only stare, as Jareth stepped into her line of vision, smiling down at her. "Hello Sarah."

"Have you come to save me?" She couldn't stop the hope that crept into her voice.

His smile widened. "What do you think?"

She closed her eyes, willing him to be just a dream.

He laughed.

"Goodbye Sarah."

She felt his lips brush briefly over hers. She felt his presence leave the room.

Then her world went dark.


End file.
